Tribune News Service
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, May 16
Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party authorities is all set to move the Supreme Court against Government of India for its failure to release Rural Development Fund of Rs 4000 crore due to the state.
A gathering to focus on the federal government stand within the apex courtroom was chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann right here yesterday. State’s Advocate General Vinod Ghai was additionally current within the assembly. According to sources within the Chief Minister’s Office, the federal government is dashing against time to have its case listed earlier than the summer time trip of the Supreme Court begins subsequent week.
While the Centre is but to clear earlier years dues of Rs 3200 crore of RDF, one other Rs 750 crore due to the state for this 12 months’s wheat has additionally not been given. The provisional value sheet despatched by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on May 3, makes no point out of the RDF to be given to the state.
The Ministry had earlier promised to give two p.c RDF and two p.c market charge on Minimum Support Price of wheat and paddy, lowering these from three p.c every. These are statutory costs levied by the state authorities.
The Centre reportedly needed the state authorities to agree to their proposal in writing, which the Aam Aadmi Party authorities refused to do, as a result of of its political fallout of accepting decrease funds from the federal government. Considering the precarious fiscal well being of the state, the federal government doesn’t need to settle for a decrease slab, which can scale back its income receipts. As a outcome, the Centre launched the Provisional Cost Sheet with out giving any RDF.
After this, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann additionally wrote to Piyush Goyal on May 9, saying, “The discount in these levies at this stage would adversely have an effect on the rural infrastructure and financial system. Further, the Mandi Board/Rural Development Board will be unable to repay the mortgage/liabilities created for development of rural infrastructure that has facilitated farmers to sow, develop, harvest and market their crop”.
#Aam Aadmi Party AAP
#Supreme Court
